Review: 42092 Rescue Helicopter
Posted by Huw,Hardly a year goes by without a new Technic helicopter of one size or another being released, but given I have a soft spot for them that's OK with me.
2019's offering is a mid-sized rescue helicopter that looks similar to many of the others. Let's find out if it offers anything new or is just more of the same.
Construction
There's not much to say about construction: it's pretty straightforward and the 325 pieces snap together quickly. As is often the case, the most time consuming part is aligning the stickers correctly.
The completed model
It's about 30cm long and I think it looks pretty good. The stickers do enhance its appearance but it would also look acceptable without them.
There's a winch on the side and a stretcher is provided to use it with.
The white parts on the otherwise black landing gear look out of place.
Functionality
The side and rear doors open but the stretcher doesn't fit through the side door very easily and as it's wider than the craft: once you have managed to cram it in by compressing the grey handle down, the doors won't shut. It doesn't fit in the rear compartment easily, either, because the opening isn't high enough, so the handle needs to be deformed to get in there, too.
The winch on the left-hand side is operated using a gear on the right.
The main rotor blades are connected to the rear one via the red axle on the top of the tail boom, and both are rotated by turning the gear at the bottom of the craft. Although it works, it's disappointingly simple. Most previous helicopters have at least had the control on the side, while one (8232 Chopper Force) even had a sophisticated ratchet mechanism.
Verdict
It's a perfectly serviceable model but it's let down by a crude rotor turning control. An accessory for the winch to hoist is welcome but it would have been nice to be able to put inside the craft once it's been lifted.
It's by no means an essential purchase although fans of Technic helicopters like myself will be happy to add it to their collection.
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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7 comments on this article
Know what would complete this set?
Technic figure.
The Technic figures were wonderful (I was lucky enough to amass a decent collection off eBay) but I’m not surprised Lego stopped making them. Still, I always look at Technic sets and wonder how they could fit a Technic figure in there...
8232 was awesome!!! I thought they were going to use that ratchet system for many other models since they branded it, but that never came to fruition.
4403 had my favorite mechanism. I don’t expect to see it again.
Any idea of cost? It looks a little dumbed down, maybe to meet a particular price point?
^ yes it does. Maybe it will go for 25-40
It looks kinda simple, but it's still a pretty good heli.